About the Office of Emergency Management

For more than 50 years, the New York State Office of Emergency Management and its predecessor agencies have been responsible for coordinating the activities of all State agencies to protect New York's communities, the State's economic well-being, and the environment from natural and man-made disasters and emergencies. NYS OEM routinely assists local governments, voluntary organizations, and private industry through a variety of emergency management programs including hazard identification, loss prevention, planning, training, operational response to emergencies, technical support, and disaster recovery assistance.

About the Office of Counter Terrorism

The Office of Counter Terrorism (OCT) was created as part of the merger that established the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services. OCT includes staff and Units from its predecessor, the Office of Homeland Security (OHS). The mission of OCT is to support federal, state, local, tribal and private sector efforts to Prevent, Protect against and Prepare for acts and threats of terrorism. Although Counter Terrorism is OCT’s primary mission, many of our programs and initiatives support capabilities that can be applied to other threats and hazards as well. Like OHS, OCT is not a law enforcement agency, but we work closely with the New York State Police and other law enforcement and public safety agencies in the fight against terrorism.

About the Office of Interoperable & Emergency Communications

Created through Executive Law section 717, the Office of Interoperable and Emergency Communications (OIEC) is the principal state agency for all interoperable and emergency communications issues and oversees and directs the development, coordination and implementation of policies, plans, standards, programs and services related to interoperable and emergency communications, including those related to land mobile radio communications.

Office of State Fire

About the Office of Fire Prevention and Control

The Office of Fire Prevention and Control began shortly after World War II as the Division of Fire Safety within the New York State Office for Local Government. Based upon lessons learned from the war, the Division was involved with developing and implementing the statewide mutual aid plan system, adopting statewide emergency radio frequencies and setting up the New York State Fire Training Program. In 1967, the Division began conducting annual fire safety inspections of all State University buildings. In 1978, the Division of Fire Safety became the Office of Fire Prevention and Control within the Department of State and New York’s first State Fire Administrator was appointed. From an original handful of staff fifty years ago, the agency has grown many times over in its size, duties and responsibilities.